Fruit-sizing apparatus



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4 Sheets-Sheet 1 F. STEEL-ER ET AL.

FRUIT SIZING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 16

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F. STEEL-EF? ET AL FRUIT nsIzI-NG APPARATUS Filed Feb. 16. 1922 4 ShEw-Shet 5 IN VEN TOR. Fred Steh/@ P 17a/,0h E. aws

F. STEBLER ET AL FRUIT SIZING APPARATUS juh( 3G,

Filed Feb. 16 1922 4 Shaetev-Shet 4 l M H. w

Patented July l0,

' sir-Aras,

rel-rear 'ERRDSTRBLERANDRALPIIE. nAvIs'or RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, .lssICfnoRs` To s'rERLnR -IARKERCO., oF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION or CALI- FORMIA.

FRUIT-SIZING APPARATUS.

Application filed February 1G, 1922,.` .'Serial No. 536,896.r

To -aZZ iti/wm t may concern.' i

Be itknown that we, ,FRED STEELE-R and ltiuirnA E. Davis, citizensot` the "Unitedl States, residing .at Riverside, in the co'un'ty,v of Riverside ,and State oi California, have invented a new yand v.useful F ruit-Sizing' Apparatus, of which the lfollowing `is, a. specilication. l j y i This invention relates to yan apparatus for sizing fruit, and under the term fruit isV meant notonly `fruit but likewise vege-l tables. This broadening off the term 'fruit t to. .include vegetables isfor the purpose of simplifying this specication.

Though. the apparatusvmay be .efficiently employed `to gradeany fruit by size, it f especially useful in grading such fruit as apples, manyI varieties ofwhich have along and short diameter. As is well known, some varieties vof apples are elongated in the ydirection of the core, while other varieties arelarger in diameter in a plane transversely of the core'. -In `other words, many varieties of apples, unlirlre, most oranges, are not perfectly sphericah'but more or less oval, as described abovef One or' the principalobjects yof thisinvention is to'naocurately grade fruit according tofvthe longer diameter.y

. Another. object is to pro-vide an apparatus having a comparatively greatcapacity ycoin-` pared with itssizeg.

The accompanying inventionz.

l F ig. 1 is a side elevation oiganr apparatus embodying the intention. -Theiview is more orless diagrammatic Aand the driving mechanism is'ionii'tted.. I v

2 is fan enlarged broken plan view of Fis:-

Fig.v '3 is an drawings illustrate the enlarged `ifraginental` elevation of the apparatus, showing the primary sizingunit.` -A

Fig. etis anLenlargedplaI-ie viewottheleft portionjotthe apparatus lin Fig. 1, showing the series of secondary-.grading units.`

Fighe `isan .enlargedfsectionalelevation on the ,lin e indicated byf, Fig.y 4.1 l l `ig..6 isan enlarged fragmental sidey ele-v ratonof Fia..l 1 v Fig 7 is anj` enlargedglfi detailonthe'line.indicatedby 7%?, Fig.

i are each provided with a `pai'rof nentalI se ftional Fig. 8 is a plan detail o'l' a fragment of one of tliefsecondary sizing units.

Fig. 9 is a'sectional detail on line indicated by 9 9, Fig. 8. 1

i Fig. 10 is an enlarged ;.frag1nental plan section on the line lindicated by 10-10, Fig.7.` f L Fig. 11 is an enlarged elevation of the-pril mary grading unit, partly in section on the line indicated by 11v 11, Fig. 3;

.Fig` 12 isa sectional detail on the line inj-l .dlcated by 1212, Fig. `5,`showing one of the fenders.`

. kl*"ig .13 is an enlarged 'sectional detailon the linezvindicated 13-413, Fig. 4. i

VThe frame ofthe apparatus is indicated at' 15 and supports a n primary sizing unit' 16 .near one end, .a series ototherwsizing Junits 17 spaced froin'the unit 16 andasorting belt'18 interposed between the units 16 and 17. vMounted on the frame 15 adjacent the front or feed end of the sizing'unit 16 y is a feed table comprising a series of longitudinally extending slats 19'which `extend aslant rearwardly r`and downwardly. ThisJ general organization is clearly shown in F ig. 1 ofthe drawingsand the other views yare more especially referred to for the details of their construction. l

' The prima-ry sizing unit 16 is constructed as follows: i

Mounted on the frame 15 are bearings 2,0 supportinga pair'of Spa'eedfshafts 21 at substantially the same level. Mounted at sides thereoiiare bearings 23 in which is journaled a` shaft 211. The shafts 21 and 24 .pulleysi`25, one atl each side ot the frame.

Endless belts 26 extend around the lower i and upper pulleysy atoppositesides of the.

frame. The beltsv 26 carry bearings 27, those on one "bel-tbeing ali'ned transversely with those on the other belt. Journaled in each pair of opposed bearings is a roller 28.` which may be covered by rubberor other suitable material. indicated at l29.

The end portions lof--thel rollers `28 run uponrails 101 along theupperrun of the belts 26so that rotation of said rollers will.

be effected. Beneath the upper, runotthe belts 2G`are `transversely extendingchutes a. higher level on the `frame 15 at opposite f lon 40 f hereinafter. 'Thereforea description of one y 59.. a pai'r of pulleys at/'eachside of thel frame and upon eachnpair is mountedankendless 102 andvpositioned to discharge. into the transverse chutes is a longitudinally extending shute 103 preferably having a fabric bottom 104. :The chute 103 slopes with the llOelts'26. l

j From the foregoing it will lbe clear that the belts 2.6 extend as-lantv rearwardly and upwardly, the vforward ends thereof being rear end of the platable material. At thelongitndin'al margins of the belt 33 are provided the vconveyor .j sides34 havin'gextensions35 above the u pperrun of the belts '26, slightly above the level' of the rollers 28'. These sides prevent the fruit r.fromA rolling laterally from the units 16', 18. kThe belt 33 is of a widthsnbl stantially,corresponding to the lengtli'of the" rollers .28.

vfibove thebelt 33 landfextending"longitudinally thereof is a partition 36 .which is deflected at .one sideat its frontend, .as indicated at 37, jso as to meet one"` of the sides .Thiscauses all'of the fruit carlows ried by the `sizing unit 16 todischargelonto j that portion of thejbelt 33'positioned`to one sidefof thefpartition l i slightly below the levelof the rear end of j the sizingunit' 16 and bridging' the space between said j units is a rearwardlyv and downwardly extending chiite 38;` y .l

.Thefsizing' units 17 are duplicates of one another with the exception of `relative' proportions. therebetween as willV be made clear of the *sizing units 17 'willlsufcelfor all of them. n Each unit vr171s constructedfas fol- Mounted on opposite .sidesofthe y.frame 15 areflo'wer bearings. 39l yand ,upperrbear-j lings 40. Journaled in the bearings 39 is a y(so shaft 41 provided with ianged pulleys42, and, journaledinthe bearings is a shaft 43 provided with loose pulleys 44 There is telt 45. Mounted (inthe out@ fate of .the belt l45 are .bearings '46 yfor Vtransversely extending rollers l' The rollers '47 are 'prefs era-bly covered with rnbbefr orI yother suitable yielding n'rateria'l" as indicated at 48.7

. 'rolle'rs 48` are provided at Aintervals there'along with'annnlar grooves 49. "Each groove .of each vof-fthe .rollersf47isf alin'ed with a groove yofeaeh ofthe'otherrollers and each! longitudinally alined'. 'set of grooves is engagedbya longitudinally ex' y tending endlessdivision member 50."'The`se divisionxmembers 50 are preferably selftensioning. and may be' constructed ofcoiled The beit j sa is* spring wire as clearly shown `in 'Fig 9i.

The distance. between each two. adjacent tween. each two adjacent :division ymembers 50 so" as to form square openings 51. The

yrollers 47 is the same as they distance bebelts `45, bearings `46, krollers 47 and division members `50 together` ,constitute an .endless `rotary screen having4 aj., definite sizeof mesh'v through which `discharges lonly 'fruit of which ,themaximum' diameter is slightly less ythan the size of the mesh of the screen.

The adjacent units 17 overlap one another, that is to say; the rear or lower end of each unit extends rearwardly of and below Athe front end .of the nn'it immediately yto l vthe rear thereof. Also` the rear ends of the nnitslare'above-the level of the. forward aslant rearwardly andnpwardly. lnorder that the units 17 may; be' compactly placed,

there are provided guards 52` which arejsev vcured at `their opposite' 'en'dsfltovthe frame 15 andextend between adjacent units 17 so .as to prevent the" rollersfof one .funitfini Vter'ferring with the 'rollers of the adjacent unit, as would result .from'jsagg'in'g' ofthe lowerruns of the belts 45;'

ends thereof `so' that each unit".` extends 'i ,Extending beneath the Yend=portions "of i .the rollers 47 are supporting rails ".53V forv the rollers to runen so .thatsaid rollers will be ycausedl to rotate.A `The spacebetween the -rails'53 is lopen and beneathl said space run 'transversely extending conveyor"u belts 54"preferably constructed ofc'anvas or like' material, the sides of the conveyor being indicated at 58, 59. The belts' 54 runen pulleys 55 mounted fon V'shafts 56.v The shafts/56 are journaled in bearingsl '57.at

tached tothe conveyor sides 58, 59i7The side 58 extends to and supports the lower 'end of the rails 53, andfresting yon 4the npv perk edge of the conveyorside 59"4 is thel'ow; er end 4of a chute 60 which. extends' aslant rearwardly and yupwardly'beneath vthe space that exists between the rails'53.' Thus yany fruit [that discharges throughthe fmeshes..vr Y of the sizing unit, after it is lcarried vrear?. l

wardly vof position over the belt'54, will fall into the `chute 60 andl discharge :from "jsaid chute ontothev belt`54f Arrlhe bottomsl of the chutesv 60 ,are preferably constructed of rfabric so as' toV avoid b'rn-ising'the fruit..y Each shaft. 1s provided with alrotary fen-j der constructed as 'follows f on the kShaft ier-1S mounted. al ptit". or rotary members 62 provided with flat`ffaces 63 to vwhich. are boltedfat'f64 4tran'sversfely 'i extending slats 65... Between each two 'adj acent fiat faces 63 eachmember :'62is provided with ai concaveV 'face 66, and vadjacentv conf" cave faces Iare *"sp'aced' toj-conform f'wthjthe` pitchjof the rollers'47l Thus whenthe 'rollers 47 `are in engagement with themernbers 62.7 ltheV slats 'enga'ge the division members 50. From this it is clearl that" any fruit that reaches' the upperend of anylof the` sizingunits 17, and that may be caught? 1n the meshof the' rotary screen, will be engaged by one ofthe slats v65A and pushed upwardly t free it from the rollers and di-` Beneath the sorting belt 18 s an endless' conveyor belt 67 running over pulleys 68 on shafts 69. The shafts 69 are .journaled inf bearings 70 mounted 0n the frame 15. At intervals along the belt "67 are chutes 71 arranged with their discharge ends just above the 'level of said belt. The chutes' 71 have their mouths adjacent one of the margins of the4 sortingfbelt 33 so thatpersons doing the sorting canreadily place fruit, that they mayselect from the' sorting belt, in either of the chutes 71. Conveyor sides'72, 73 are provided along'the margins of the belt 6 7, the side 72 beingprovided with any opening 74. Extending diagonally acrossv the upper Y face of the belt 67 from the side 72 to the side73, adjacent the opening 74, is a deflectin-g end member 75 for directing fruit from the belt 67 through the opening 74.

The driving mechanism of the apparatus isf'constructed as followsfy Y Extending 'lengthwise lof thev frame v15 ,onl

opposite sides thereof are shafts 7 6, 77, provided at one end with sprocket wheels 78 connected" by a crossed sprocket chain v,79 s0 that said shafts will turn in opposite directions. The shafts 76,77 are j'ournaled in bearings 80 mounted on the sides ofthe frame 15.- The shaft 76 is provided: with a series of bevel pinions 81 meshingl with bevel gears 82 mounted on the shafts 43. Thus the sizing units 17 vare driven by operation of the shaft 76. d

Both shafts :76, 77 -are provided with l sprocket wheels 85 connected by sprocketchains A86 to other sprocket wheels87 which are mounted on 'the shafts 56 so as to drive the transverse conveyor belts 54.1 The forwardmost shaft l43 is providedy `with a sprocket wheel 88 to drive a sprocketchain 89 engaging a sprocket wheel- 90 on the conveyor shaft 69, thus to "drive theconveyor belt 67. The shaft 76 is itself: drivenv by a sprocketwheel 91 Connected `by a sprocket chain 92 to a sprocket "wheel 93 mounted on a shaft 94. The shaft94 `may be driven by any desiredtype of prime mover, such as that indicated at 95.

The shaft 76 is provided with another l sprocket wheel 96 connected by a sprocket chain 97 to a sprocketwheel 98 ona shaft 99 that extends above the level of the shaft 76. The shaft 99 is Iprovided with ay bevel pinion v83 meshing with a bevel gear 84 mounted on the shaft 24.v Through the driving connections just described, the sizing unit 16is driven. y i

' Itis to be noted that an extension 100 ofv the ypartition 36 4extends just' above vthe rollers `47 of the sizing units 17. It has been hereinbefore mentioned that with the exception of certain relative proportions the sizing units -17 were of like construction.`

The only differencebetween'them is in the size of the'mesl'i openings 51, the mesh increasing in size from front to rear or fronr 'feed to discharge end of the series of units 17. The widthof the partition v100'may vary at thedifferent units 17 according to the size of mesh employed for said unit so that the meshv 0f the screen will be of the same size adjacent .the partitionv as farther away. lThis will prevent fruit that should pass through the mesh of one sizing unit from being carried along and discharged onto the next succeeding vunit17, and also .preventA larger fruit from;y discharging throughv a sizing yunit that should pass it to the next unit.`

. Assuming that the prime mover 95 is'turning the shaft 7, the apparatus operates as follows: y f

i Because of its-great utility in sizing elongate oroblate fruit bodies it will be assumed, for example, that apples of such shapes are being supplied to the apparatus. The apples will be placed on the 'sla-ts 19 and will roll thenceonto thelower portion of the sizing unit 16. As therollers 28 ascend they carry the apples along withl them and the apples are turned over and over by the rollers, sincer chutes 102 vor first into the longitudinal chute y 103 from which they discharge into either of the lateral chutes 102.

' Those apples 'that' are sufficiently large to be retained upon the sizing unit -16 will be conveyed upwardly and rearwardly and'discharged upon the sorting belt Sorters will be positioned along the conveyor side 34 and 'will grade the apples according to appearance into two grades. They maybe graded, for example, according to color intensity, the most colorful ones being allowed toremain lon that portion of the belt 33 near-- est the sorters, and those having less color being placed by the sorter upon that por partitionA tion of the belt on the side of the 36 farthest vfrom him.

kThe applesy thus graded, according teap-- pearance, into tWo lots dischargel from/the;

` belt 3,3 on opposite sides ofthe partition 100 sions into which each'unit is divided.bythev "partition 100. In the present instance there are five-1:grading` units 17 and one partition' 100,-tlius providing for six sizes oi? apples- They apples that .remain upon the `sizing unit 17, because of larger diameter than' the mesh thereof, are carried tothel. luppervend of saidsizingfunit andfthe slats 6 5 push the apples upwardly from between the .rollersland belts at the point Where -said rollersjand beltdischarge theyapples upon the next succeeding sizingfunit 17,.v

rIlhe apples that arelarger--than themesh of any Partic'ulaisizing. unitflfivilldis-- charge therefrom .onto the .inextsucceeding sizing lunitand thusthe apples Will Abei graded by the' seriesof units 17 linto 'asinany dii-` :ferent sizes as there are grading units 1 7 plus one @multiplied .by the number of divi'- of one color gradeand siX sizesof `another colorjgrade. That is to say,l each sizing unit` 17 discharges ltivo .color grades o'ii one lside through its in eshesand the last sizing uniti j discharges the largest of theapples from the upper end of said unit upon. the rearmost conveyor beltsl.

' Ihej importance of therollers 29,47y will `beunderstood, When it isy consideredl that.

they cause .the fruit bodiesto--be turned over and over'k so that theycannot dischargev throughthemesh of the sizing unit unless thelongest diameter o ithefruit is less than the. widths of the sp'acetbetvveen .adjacent rollers vand betweenadjacent belts 50.-. Iiiin place kefthegrollers therepwerel mere slats thatdi'd not rotate, andan voblongor oblate 7 applefyivercdepositedon the sizing unit with itsshort diameter parallel to the plane of the ro llers,^the appleyvould .immediately drop through thesizingunit, but ,the rollers and. yendless division members Oengaged bysuch apple, vb`ecause;they do rotate, immediately turn the apple, andthus 'prevent it.,from

passing through: thesizingunit, andsaidl appleyis therefore rcarried to the neXtsucceedingunit. .An applewhose, greatest di.

ameter isless thanthemesh Aof the sizing unit oniyhich it is discharged Willnpass through/the mesh, even, thoughit be turned by turning of. the rollers.

j .Between ladjacent sizing v units e chutes 105 Which extend aslant downwardly i 17,y .are

and rearwardly seth-at thefruit-Will roll `Onto :the f unit 17 y Vinstead' yoi'. i falling thereon. -Whe`n the sorters arelworking at ythe belt 33, .i'i'gthey seeA 'any imperfectlyshaped fruit or ,fruit havingl blemishes, such fruit vwill be deposited by v them into the mouths of the Ina sizing apparatus, thecombinationof spacedfs'izing units,la sorting -belt to re; eeive ruitirom /oneof the sizlnglunits and discharge-it. upon the'y other sizing unit,V in eansftodirect all ofthefruit from the first sizing unit to one sideofV .the'jsort-ing belt,

and'meansto operatethe sizing units and thefsorting belt. f,

.2.. 4IIL il; sizing apparatus,rv the combination 'y oi spaced sizing units, a sorting belthtc'rre-A ceivefruit .from one of the sizing-'units and discharge it ,upon' -the other sizing unit, means to. direct allofthe fruit Vfrom the firstV l l sizing unit `to `one side ofthe sorting belt,I a.V s v chute having lits mouth positioned/adjacent one margin oithe sorting belt, .andineans to operate the sizingunitsfand the sorting belt.

In asizingappa'ra'tus', the combination ofl'spaced, sizing units, a sorting belt tore-.j

eeive liruitirom onewof thesizingunits and discharge it upon the othery sizing unit,

means to direct all of the fruit` yfrom the iirstf sizing unit to oneside ofi the sortingbelt,,a`

conveyor i4beneath the sorting belt, a chute having its `mouth positioned adjacent one margin of the sortinghbelt and Vdischarging 'onto the c onyeyor, andv means to operate the u Mnhan apparatus. for sizingl approximately spherical` objects, thecombination oi rotatably mounted endless belts, transversely disposed rollers rotatably @mountedl on, the f belts f in spacedI relation, means` for veffecting rotation f lof "they rollers Lto lrotate the objects` as they areearried by thejrollers, andmeansf providing; a-. pluralityof; paths parallel to` hebeljts; for' maintaining yeach-of said obsizingunits vand sorting-belt `and conveyor.

roo

jects against trayel endwise-` ofthe rollers.

15.' In agslz'ing apparatus, the combinationo'frotatably 1 mounted endless belts, .rollers rotatably mounted on the belts in, spacedlrelation' and having .annular grooves, rails forv the frollersfg.toty run fon, means beneathl the rollers A, .to vrreceive fruit j discharging therebetween, endless division members engagingv 'i the grooves of the rollers, and means ytofopfl erate the', belts.

6. In a sizing apparatus, vthe' *combinationl j of rotatably mounted endless belts, ,rollers rotatably; mounted on the beltsin spaced re-I lation and havingy annular grooves, rails for thefrollersrto run on,'-means bene a th the rollers vto receive fruit discharging therebe-I tween, self-tensioning division members vengaging the grooves of the rollers, and means tooperatethe beltsg,y

7. In va sizing apparatus, they combination of rotatably mounted endless belts, rollers rotatably mounted on the belts in spaced relation and having annular grooves, rails for' the rollers to run on, means beneath the rollers to receive fruit dischargingtherebetween, coiled spring wire members engaging the grooves of the rollers, and means to operate the belts.

8. In a sizing apparatus, the combination of a plurality of sizing units arranged in a series, each unit comprising rotatably mounts ed endless belts, rollers rotatably mounted on the belts inl spaced relation, the spacing of the rollers of each succeeding unit being greater than the spacing of the rollers of the preceding unit, means vto operate the belts,

means to effect turning of the rollers as' they are propelled by the belts, and` means benea'th the rollers to receive fruit discharging therebetween.

9. In a sizing apparatus, the combination belts, means to rotate the division members,

and means beneath the transverse members to receive fruit discharging therebetween.

10. In a sizing apparatus, the ycombination of spaced rollers, means to effect rotation of said rollers, means to effect translation of said rollers, endless division members eX- tending over the rollers, means to rotate the division members, and .means beneath the rollers to receive fruit discharging therebetween. f f f 1 Signed at Riverside, California, this 9 day of February', 1922.

' v FRED STEBLER.

RALPH DAVIS. 

